E.P. Taylor Stakes has first three from Canadian Stakes

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Toronto, ON (SportsNetwork.com) - Canadian Stakes winner Minakshi tops a field of 10 fillies and mares for Sunday's $500,000 E. P. Taylor Stakes. The 1 1/4-mile turf stakes highlights the day's undercard for the Canadian International at Woodbine.

Minakshi, ridden by Luis Contreras, defeated stablemate Colonial Flag by a half-length in the $306,400 Canadian Stakes on Sept. 15. Both horses are trained by Michael Matz. Finishing third was Moment of Majesty.

Minakshi will start Sunday from post 4 with Contreras again in the saddle. Colonial Flag and jockey Julien Leparoux will break from post 2 and Moment of Majesty has drawn post 9 with John Velazquez riding.

Minakshi, owned by Northern Bloodstock, has five wins in 18 lifetime starts for $345,669. Earlier this year, the 5-year-old mare was second in the Owsley Stakes at Belmont Park followed by a third at Belmont in the Sheepshead Bay Stakes and a fourth in the New York Stakes. She then finished third in the Matchmaker at Monmouth Park.

"She's a bit of a quirky filly so you got to be really patient with her," said Joy Cooper, assistant to Matz. "She has to have the pony in the paddock and you just hope everything goes her way because the switch can flip and she can lose it, so it is more so just trying to let things go her way."

Colonial Flag, owned by W. S. Farish, Skara Glen Stable and George Prussin, won the Rosenna Stakes at Delaware Park on Aug. 17. The 4-year-old filly has banked $313,424 with four wins in 12 starts.

Trained by Roger Attfield, Moment of Majesty is a veteran of 27 career starts with four wins, seven seconds and six thirds for $635,351. All but one of her starts have come at Woodbine.

Moment of Majesty, owned by Regis Racing, was seventh in last year's Taylor behind Siyouma.

Here is the Taylor Stakes field from the rail out: No Explaining, Mike Smith; Colonial Flag, Julien Leparoux; Irish Mission, Gary Boulanger; Minakshi, Luis Contreras; Moment In Time, Ryan Moore; Nancy O, David Moran; Fitful Skies, Fabrice Veron; Samba Brazil, Andrea Atzeni; Moment of Majesty, John Velazquez and Tannery, Joel Rosario.

Post-time for the E. P. Taylor Stakes will be approximately 4:38 p.m. (ET).